This Easy Tilapia Recipe with Cilantro and Lime is ready in under 30 minutes and perfect for a weeknight. A little taste of the Southwest at your dinner table!
Today I am bringing you a life lesson.
And that is this: If you food blog, don’t plan to eat the food that you are photographing as soon as the shoot is done. Especially on an empty stomach.
You know what that leads to? Rushing.
Rushing = forgetting things that you SPECIFICALLY went to the grocery store RIGHT before the shoot just to have for the pictures. Perfect little bright green lime, I am looking at you.
Yep. I went out and spent 10000 years picking the most perfect lime eva, since this is cilantro LIME tilapia, and then my hunger got the best of me and I FORGOT THE LIME.
So now I’m sitting here looking at these pictures and being annoyed because that little colorful fruit would have made the perfect touch. Not that I’m bitter or anything.
Can you just do me a favour and use your lovely imaginations and pretend that it’s there, and this doesn’t look like boring “cilantro-only” tilapia? Thanks peeps.
So, this easy peasy limey-squeezy (too much?) dinner is one that I actually eat on a very regular basis. And by regular I mean 2-3 times/ week, along with my favorite vegan coconut curry and mango chicken with coconut cauliflower rice. and It’s THAT good and THAT easy. It’s my go-to-I-just-got-home-from-work-and-I-dunno-what-to-eat-so-cilantro-lime-tilapia-it-is dinner. Although, sometimes I switch the toppings up and make this Peanut Lime Tilapia instead. I live life on the edge guys.
So there me and the hubs are – He’s eating his morning healthy cinnamon roll protein oatmeal (since he works graveyards, dinner time is breakfast time and he doesn’t enjoy ocean dwellers for breakfast) and I’m eating fish. It’s a weird little picture. But, we’re a weird little couple. Emphasis on the little…I’m 5’2 and he’s 5’6. Everyone say “Awwww.”
Now that we’ve got that out of the way…let’s talk about fish. Do you like it? Do you think it’s the chicken of the sea? Are you anti Ocean Swimmies? Personally, I adore the little blubsters. Sidenote: “blubsters” because fish say “blub blub.” I once had a fish named “Blubby.” I’m super creative like that.
Anyway, if you’re in the anti ocean swimmies camp, you could totally just use chicken breast. And, if you don’t like spicy foods, just omit the srirarcha…it’s that easy to customize this recipe to fit whatever makes your taste buds do this: 🙂
And, if you don’t like lime, well….apparently my subconscious doesn’t either. So, you’re golden.
I’ll get over it one day.
For step-by-step instruction of this recipe, watch my video tutorial below:
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Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Uncooked quinoa
- 1 Cup Water
- 2 Tilapia fillets (3.5 oz each)
- Pinch of smoked paprika
- 2/3 Cup Frozen corn kernels thawed
- 3 Tbsp Lime juice
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro roughly chopped
- Salt/pepper to taste.
- Sriracha for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In alarge pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, stir in the quinoa, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- While the quinoa cooks, spray alarge panwith cooking spray and heat over medium/high.
- Sprinkle each side of the tilapia fillets with smoked paprika and cook until white and flaky, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cover and set aside until the quinoa is ready.
- Toss the cooked quinoa with the corn, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide the quinoa between two plates and top with tilapia fillets. Drizzle on sriracha is desired.
- DEVOUR
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
(Per 1 serving)
Want more seafood? Try these out!
Paleo Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi
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GiGi Eats says
Loving the LIGHT sauce/marinade for this fish!!! 🙂 It’s getting me excited to GRILL UP some seafood this spring and summer 🙂
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks so much Gigi!
Jenn @ Deliciously Sprinkled says
I love tilapia, just wish I made it more often! This recipe sounds so delicious, I love the combo of cilantro and lime. Pinned 🙂
Taylor Kiser says
I always buy those huge individually portioned frozen bags of them at Costco…as they make super easy meals!
Thanks so much for the pin Jenn! 🙂
Joanne says
If I could only tell you how many times I’ve forgotten a lime in photos…endless! I’ll just pretend it’s there. Tilapia is such a great clean slate for big bright zesty flavors like this!
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you for the pretendage Joanne. I love you!
Jamie @ Dishing Out Health says
Hahah you are too stinkin cute. I actually think I am going to make this tonight. Maybe with salmon because I have been craving that blubster all week. Can I use that lime that you forgot about?? 😛
Taylor Kiser says
Haha thanks girlfriend! Ohhh Cilantro lime salmon sounds deeeelish!
Yes…yes you can use that lime…let me know how it turns out!
Layla @ Brunch Time Baker says
This fish looks fantastic! I love everything cilantro lime!! Cant wait to try 😀 Pinned!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks Layla! I hope ya love it as much as I do!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
Hate when that happens!! But it turned out beautiful nonetheless! 🙂 Perfect weeknight dinner!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks Nicole!
laramealor.com says
Love Tilapia, Love Cilantro, can not wait to make this my family will love it.
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks Lara, I hope that they do!
Julia says
I ALWAYS forget little proppy thingies for my food photos when I’m hungry. It’s definitely infuriating. But if it makes you feel better, I wouldn’t have looked at your gorgeous pictures and thought: “wow, that really needs a lime” – they’re beautiful, my dear, and your recipe looks amazing! I’m all about easy peasy seafood meals. Slap blubber on my plate, and I’m happy!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks girl, I definitely feel better!
You and me both…love the blubsies!
Chris @ Shared Appetite says
You know, I was totally going to make this until I noticed there was no lime in the photo… and then I said, nope, no way. Not doing it, hahaha. Just kidding 🙂 I do that ALL the time. Isn’t it super frustrating?!
This looks great, and done in under 30 minutes is a big win!
Btw, the title of this post says “Cilantro Time Fish”. I’m guessing you wanted that to say Lime, right? Haha
Taylor Kiser says
Haha…yes! It is just the worst!
Thanks for the heads up! hahah, Man I wish someone told me that yesterday!
Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking says
Taylor….. No joke, we are seriously twins separated at birth. I’m 5’2″ (ish… sometimes at the doctor’s office they round up to 5’3″), and my guy is nocturnal too. Well, yours might not be by choice. But my guy stays up super late, and I’m a morning person. Kinda rough (and a little lonely/awkward) some days. But hey, that’s what compromise and relationships are about, right? But back to the exciting thing: your fish!! I am a HUGE fan of tilapia! Do you have any tips for minimizing the fishy smell after cooking seafood indoors? It drives me crazy, so I really only cook it during the warmer months when I can do it outside. I’m strange, I know!
Taylor Kiser says
Haha I am that too…and they round me up too! This is getting scary!
Hmmm…I actually never notice a fishy smell with Tilapia, so you’ve got me there! Sorry lovely! 🙁
Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking says
So true, this is really freaky… And to think, this all started because I saw your gorgeous cheesecakes on Foodgawker! 🙂 That’s awesome that you don’t notice a fishy smell! Maybe it’s just the way I prep or cook it… My mom never allowed fish to be cooked in the house because she hated the smell, so it could be that I’m overly sensitive too. Who knows!